A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electric warning lights as used with street construction barricades to enhance vehicular safety. More particularly, it relates to an improved warning light housing.
B. Description of the Art
Electric warning lights as attached to street construction barricades have proved extremely valuable in improving the safety of travel at night and they are widely used for advising motorists of unsafe or unusual road conditions. However, such lights are a target for vandalism and theft, and if numbers of such lights are rendered inoperative by reason of vandalism, then false indications to motorists might result. It is desirable to thwart vandals and thieves, and to this end the housing for a warning light should be durable, and should be attachable to a barricade in such a manner that it is not easily removed by unauthorized persons.
Another factor which must be taken into account in designing a warning light housing is that regular maintenance is required for the electrical components to change batteries, replace bulbs and repair faulty parts. As it is dangerous to perform extended repair at many barricade sites because of the potential hazards from the flow of nearby traffic, the best practice is to remove the electrical components from the barricade, and then perform maintenance on the components at a central shop. This requires that authorized personnel be able to quickly disassemble the housing and remove the light from the barricade. As such, an optimal housing will allow easy removal by authorized persons, while at the same time inhibiting removal by others.
Various attempts have been made to meet these needs. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,697,738, a housing was disclosed which included a base secured to a barricade and a casing affixed to the base. A special tool was required to remove a bolt connecting the casing and base. This construction was generally satisfactory, but occasionally thieves were able to jimmy the connection between the base and casing.
Another attempt to meet these needs was U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,614 which disclosed the use of a plug-type lock and key securing the base to the casing. However, because some warning lights are exposed to road salts, water, and ice, such locks would occasionally jam.
Thus, it can be seen that the need has existed for a warning light housing which improved upon the performance of prior art housings in dealing with the problems discussed above.